Guidelines for the Graduate School Application Process



Guidelines for the Graduate School Application Process

Summer between Junior and Senior Year

1. Make a list of roughly ten schools to which you are likely to apply. I suggest the following when making your list:

a. Use US News and World Report rankings (enclosed).

b. Talk with your professors about various programs.

c. Talk to your school’s Career Development Office (CDO).

d. Use AMS graduate school rankings (enclosed).

2. Read about each graduate school on your list. Find out what kind of program appeals to you by looking at each program’s web literature. Take notes on the specifics of each program, as they will be useful in personalizing your application to each school.

3. Write a resume. You are advised to supply it to people who will write recommendations for you, as it will make writing them easier. It will also cause you to gather all the standard information necessary in application forms.

4. Prepare for your GRE’s

a. You will need to take a general and a subject test in the GRE’s

b. Test registration can be done online at .

c. The general GRE can be taken anytime, however the subject tests have specific dates.

Tests will be given on the following:

1. Nov. 4 (Register by Sept 29)

2. Dec 2 (Register by Oct 27)

3. April 14 (Register by March 9)

5. Investigate graduate fellowships available for mathematics. Many CDO’s have searchable databases for such fellowships. Some to consider are:

a. National Science Foundation

b. Hertz Foundation

c. Lucent Technologies Foundation (women only)

6. List all of the topics / accomplishments you would like to address in your “statement of purpose.”

Fall of Senior Year

1. Determine to which schools and to which fellowships you will apply. Apply to at least three to four schools in addition to two “safety” schools you might consider if your top choices might not become available.

2. Get a copy of all applications or begin electronic applications for each grad school and fellowship.

3. PUT ALL DUE DATES ON A CALANDER IN A PROMINENT LOCATION.

4. Write your personal statement. This tends to be the most difficult part of the application process. Some guidelines:

a. Find a theme to link all of your accomplishments and topics you want to address in your paper.

b. It is not necessary to have a highly specific graduate research project in mind, but it is important to have narrowed your interests to a reasonable degree:

For example, instead of saying you are interested in pure mathematics, an essay describing an interest in metric spaces and fixed point theorems will be more effective.

c. If possible, give evidence in your essay of your knowledge of current, active, mathematical research. Stating interests in specific research in your essay does NOT commit you to any particular research in graduate school.

d. Mention your REU program, senior thesis, and any other notable work.

e. Have someone edit your personal statement. It may be to your advantage to show your writing to a person unrelated to the whole process, as he/she will demand the highest amount of clarity in your writing to understand it.

f. Remember to ask for guidance from your professors on your statement.

5. Request letters of recommendation from your professors. You should supply the following to your letter writers:

a. Resume and transcript

b. A description of any project or research work you have completed.

c. Your “statement of purpose”

d. Grant application essay (if applicable)

e. Due dates for each school and stamped and addressed envelopes, or detailed information on electronic submissions.

6. Send off the applications with all the required supplemental information by the required due date. Be sure to remind your letter writers of these specific due dates as well.

Remember throughout the entire process, do not panic. It is true that you are planning your future through graduate school, but nothing about it is ultimately final. You can always change your mind about your graduate institution, or academic pursuit. What one should watch out for is not to be overwhelmed by the entire process. Be careful not to let the pressure of taking this step drive you into an academic lethargy. It is common to see bright students, driven to procrastination by intimidation and their own high standards, to have nothing to show for the process by December. It is possible to balance the application process with your senior undergraduate year, and I am confident that you will all be immensely successful in the graduate process.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download